This invention relates to improved devices for locking a pair of flexible cords against longitudinal movement, as for instance in a drawstring arrangement for a garment, bag, or the like.
There have in the past been devised cord locking devices of a type including a body having a passage through which a pair of cords extend, and containing a slide element having two sets of teeth at its opposite sides and mounted for movement relative to the body between a position for locking the cords against axial movement and a released position. One such device is shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,390 issued May 12, 1964 on "Slide Clamp". In such devices, I have found it desirable to utilize relatively sharp gripping teeth on the slide element for engaging the cord or cords in a relation easily locally deforming the surface of a cord and thereby very readily effecting automatic locking displacement of the slide element by the cord itself upon longitudinal movement thereof. However, if the teeth are made sharp for this purpose, their extremities become so thin as to themselves be too easily deformable upon exertion of longitudinal force against the cord in the locking condition, with a resultant tendency for damage to or destruction of the teeth if excessive forces are applied to the cord.